I’m excited to be part of an online study group that is using Benebell Wen‘s hefty tarot tome Holisitc Tarot to work through all things cards. I actually heard about it via Benebell’s instagram—she is not part of it or running it, but seems to approve and in fact is open to being “pestered with questions” (smartly so, it inspired me to finally buy the book!).

Student hat *on*!

*Note: The photo of the book cover was taken without permission from Benebell’s site. She is a no-nonsense, down to earth, and giving teacher and blogger. Buy her book! Get a reading from her (I have and it was great). I get nothing from saying any of this, I am just a fan.

2 thoughts on “Tarot Study Group”

“I finally bought and am greatly enjoying the book. Your care and craft and thoroughness are inspiring, and as a long time tarot nerd, I am a happy camper! I also recently received a gratis tarot reading from you, and girlfriend—you are a tarot hero to me!

I am, however, having an issue with the casualness of use of the word ‘gypsy’ in the early chapters. For many Rom, Dom, and Lom people this word is seen as, frankly, a slur. Though certainly some within the Romani communities have reclaimed it, for those not Rom (or Dom, etc.) it is generally agreed that to use the term is not respectful—and at the very, very least, if it is used it should be capitalized as it refers to an ethnic group.

I fully recognize that the word has developed as slang in the US to mean a free spirit of sorts, and I know it is easy to not be aware of the issues of a minority community. I write this comment with full respect, and in fact only choose to do so becasue you are a thoughtful writer who clearly is still learning (which makes for the best kind of teacher, in my opinion). I am part of another subculture where the G-word gets used thoughtlessly, or as meaning an exotic, unchanging, free spirit somehow outside of the norms of society, without any recognition that in fact it refers very real group of people who are poor, economically and socially oppressed, misunderstood, and often villainized and scapegoated. There has been great headway and positive education made about Romani issues, there is a lot out there about it, and I would be remiss to not bring it up here, as well.